Hi, I'm HIDRA!

Shone, Andrew

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/114288 Copy

Description

Title

Hi, I'm HIDRA!

Author(s)

Shone, Andrew

Issue Date

2022

Keyword(s)

Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering

Abstract

Fusion power is a path towards unlimited clean energy for the entire world. When two lightweight nuclei are forced together under the right conditions, they will fuse and release four times the amount of energy than a fission reaction. The Sun achieves fusion through gravity and high temperatures, but here on Earth, we have to take a slightly different approach. At low pressure, magnetic fields are used to confine a deuterium-tritium plasma that is ten times hotter than the core of the Sun! The Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications (HIDRA) is the oldest and most traveled fusion device in the world. Recreating fusion conditions is a lot like trying to contain the Sun in a bottle. The bottle is going to melt, right? Well with some clever engineering, that can be avoided by using specialized materials known as plasma-facing components (PFCs). HIDRA is utilized to test a variety of PFCs to help fusion researchers around the globe decide what materials will be used in fusion reactors. Current experiments on HIDRA investigate using liquid lithium as the “first wall” the hot plasma interacts with. This research has made groundbreaking discoveries advancing fusion energy closer to reality.

Type of Resource

• Text
• Image

Language

eng

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/114288

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 Andrew Shone

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